How do I locate a defendant in a small claims court case?

In Maryland, locating a defendant in a small claims court case is very important and must be done in order to move forward with the case. The process of locating a defendant in a small claims court case in Maryland includes doing a few steps. First, you should search for the defendant’s current address. You can do this by searching public records databases or the official county or state website. This will help to determine if the individual lives in the same jurisdiction as the court. Second, if the defendant is a business, you should check the business registration records in the Secretary of State’s office. Doing this will give you the required contact information to legally serve the defendant in the legal process. Third, if you are unable to locate the defendant, you may need to have a process server serve the court documents to the defendant. This is a professional who can be hired to physically find and deliver the court documents to the defendant, in accordance with the law. Finally, if all other attempts fail, you can ask the court for permission to serve the defendant by publication. This involves placing a notice in a newspaper or legal written publication informing the defendant of the legal proceedings. In conclusion, in Maryland, locating a defendant in a small claims court case involves searching public records, the Secretary of State’s office, hiring a process server, and potentially requesting service by publication.

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